The present inventions relates generally to a seating device, and more specifically, the present invention relates to a body cushion which is specially contoured for a person""s body and which is particularly suited for use in a variety of sporting applications.
Over the years, it has been increasingly popular to use a portable seat cushion for support and comfort while attending and viewing sporting events in a stadium or the like, and these same seat cushions are also used by participants of sports which require prolonged periods of sitting. For example and as is known, the sports of fishing and gamesmanship (i.e., hunting), generally require the participant to sit in a set location for prolonged periods of time. Typically, this location comprises a metal seating area in a boat or a seating area in a hunting structure designed to protect and camouflage the individual from the game which is being sought. As such, the posterior of the individual is likely to become very sore by sitting on a hard surface for prolonged periods of time.
To alleviate the discomfort caused by sitting on these hard surfaces, it is common for an individual to bring a seat cushion, commonly referred to as a stadium seat. The seat cushion typically has a plastic outer coating surrounding a cushion material disposed therein. Air holes are provided in the outer coating to permit air to escape as the individual sits on the pad and the seat cushion contracts, thereby forcing air out from the center thereof. Usually, a pair of side straps are formed with and extend from the outer coating. These side straps permit the user to easily carry the seat cushion and place it in a desired location on the hard seating surface. The seat cushion is typically in the shape of a rectangle.
While the conventional seating cushions of the prior art are suitable for some uses, they suffer from the disadvantage that the seating cushions are generally not contoured to the user""s body for providing extra comfort and more importantly, the seating cushions are designed to be carried by the user and then placed on the hard seating surface as the user sits down. Consequently, if the user decides to move positions or slightly rise to observe an event or an object, the seating cushion is free to become displaced from its original setting. In addition, external conditions, such as wind, can cause the seat cushion to become misplaced. This causes difficulties when the user is involved in a sport such as fishing or hunting because the user does not have much time to continually observe the position of the seating cushion as the user sits back down on the seating surface. It is desirable for a hunter or fishing participant to be able to rise from the seating surface, conduct a series of movements and then sit back down without having to worry about the location of the seating cushion.
Thus, it can be seen that it would be advantageous to have a seating cushion which is body contoured and permits the user to move without worry.
The above-discussed and other drawbacks and deficiencies of the prior art are overcome or alleviated by the body cushion of the present invention. The body cushion comprises a posterior portion to accommodate the posterior of a user and a pair of leg extensions which extend therefrom. According to the present invention, the posterior portion and the leg extensions are preferably contoured to the shape of the user""s body so that a secure fit results when the user wears the body cushion. The body cushion is designed to be secured to the lower half of the user""s body by a number of fastening devices, e.g, interlockable belts, which are disposed in the body cushion.
More specifically, a waist belt is provided at a topmost end of the posterior portion and a leg belt is provided at the bottommost end of the leg extension. The leg extensions are preferably integrally formed with the posterior portion, and in a preferred embodiment, the body cushion is formed of a closed cell foam by known processes. The posterior portion seats against the buttocks area of the user and the leg extensions seat against the backside of the user""s legs.
The leg extensions include pleated portions which easily extend to permit movement of the user and to provide extended comfort and protection when the user sits down a hard seating surface with the body cushion securely affixed to the user""s posterior and to the backside of the user""s legs.